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Orlando Police Department

Coordinates: 28°32′29″N 81°23′00″W / 28.541285°N 81.383455°W / 28.541285; -81.383455
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28°32′29″N 81°23′00″W / 28.541285°N 81.383455°W / 28.541285; -81.383455

Orlando Police Department
Patch of the Orlando P.D.
Patch of the Orlando P.D.
Seal of the Orlando P.D.
Seal of the Orlando P.D.
AbbreviationOPD
Motto"Courage, Pride, Commitment"
Agency overview
Formed1875
Jurisdictional structure
Legal jurisdictionCity of Orlando
Operational structure
Sworn members998+
Unsworn members150+
Agency executive
Facilities
LockupsOrange County Corrections[1]
Website
Official website

The Orlando Police Department (OPD) is the municipal law enforcement responsible within the city limits of Orlando, Florida, United States. The OPD employs over 998 sworn officers and over 150 civilian employees serving the citizens of Orlando through crime prevention, criminal investigations, and apprehension, neighbourhood policing, involvement through the schools with young people and overall delivery of police services.

The current Chief of Police is Eric Smith.[2][3]

History

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In the 1960s, the OPD ran a firearm training program for women, in response to increased rates of rape.[4]

Jerry Demings became the OPD's first African-American chief in 1998, and served until 2002.[5]

The police department has managed, along with local radio program The Monsters in the Morning on WTKS-FM,[citation needed] a "no questions asked" gun exchange for gift cards or sports shoes. In August, 2007, a man turned in an item first identified as a rocket launcher resulting in international publicity.[6][7][8] The item was later determined to be an empty carrying case for a TOW missile and its launcher.[9]

Orlando's first female police chief, Val Demings, was appointed in 2007. Her husband, former police chief Jerry was elected Sheriff of Orange County in 2008: his opponent mentioned his wife's position as a potential conflict of interest. Violent crime in Orlando decreased drastically during her tenure as chief.[10] Demings retired on June 1, 2011.[11]

A 2008 Orlando Weekly exposé described the Orlando Police Department as "a place where rogue cops operate with impunity, and there's nothing anybody who finds himself at the wrong end of their short fuse can do about it."[12] A 2015 article about Val Deming's congressional campaign in The Atlantic stated that the Orlando Police Department "has a long record of excessive-force allegations, and a lack of transparency on the subject, dating back at least as far as Demings's time as chief."[13] Demings responded with an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel, writing, "Looking for a negative story in a police department is like looking for a prayer at church", adding, "It won't take long to find one." In the same op-ed, she cast doubt on video evidence that conflicts with officers' statements in excessive force cases, writing, "a few seconds (even of video) rarely capture the entire set of circumstances."[13]

In 2010, an Orlando police officer flipped 84-year-old World War II veteran Daniel Daley over his shoulder after the man became belligerent, throwing him to the ground and breaking a vertebra in his neck.[14] Daley alleged excessive force and filed a lawsuit. The police department cleared the officer as "justified" in using a "hard take down" to arrest Daley, concluding he used the technique correctly even though he and the other officer made conflicting statements. Demings said "the officer performed the technique within department guidelines" but also that her department had "begun the process of reviewing the use of force policy and will make appropriate modifications." A federal jury ruled in Daley's favor and awarded him $880,000 in damages.[13][15][16][17][18]

John W. Mina was chief of police from 2014 to 2018. The OPD together with the Orange County Sheriff's Office responded to the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016. An OPD officer ultimately shot and killed shooter Omar Mateen after he fired on the responding officers.[19]

In 2017, Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was shot and killed by a man who was wanted in the death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. A deputy of the sheriff's office also died in the ensuing pursuit of the suspect.[20]

In 2019, an Orlando Police officer arrested a 6-year-old girl after she kicked a school staff member during a tantrum, and a 6-year-old boy later that same day. The officer was terminated.[21]

In 2022, the OPD was kicked out of the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training program after an instructor wrote to ABLE stating that officers were not taking the full eight hours of the class.[22]

Since the establishment of the Orlando Police Department, 15 officers have died in the line of duty.[23]

Academy

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Through a joint effort with other local agencies and Valencia College, uncertified newly hired officers attend a 22-week academy at the Criminal Justice Institute at VCC.[citation needed]

Organization

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Specialized units

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OPD operates a wide range of specialized enforcement units including:

Demographics

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Over the years, the demographics of full-time sworn personnel were:

Year Percentage of full-time sworn personnel
Female Male African American or Black American Indian Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanic, any race White, non-Hispanic Other race
1993[24] 14.6 85.4 17.3 0.4 1.1 6.9 74.4 —
1997[25] 18 82 21 0 2 11 67 —
2000[26] 20 80 21 0 2 13 63 0

Controversies

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Abuse of Power

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On June 6th, 2023, Alexander Shaouni (police officer) of Orlando Police Department was caught recklessly speeding, driving 80 mph in a 45 mph zone. The Seminole County deputy sheriff drove over 90 mph just to catch up to Shaouni. Shaouni can be seen and heard on the viral video with deputy sheriff saying, "What? I am going to work, my man. Why are you trying to pull me over as I am going to work?"[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Facilities - OCFL". netapps.ocfl.net. Archived from the original on 2022-03-23. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  2. ^ "Eric Smith Appointed Next OPD Chief". City of Orlando Police Department. 11 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  3. ^ "Eric Smith, 27-year department veteran, to be next Orlando Police chief". www.mynews13.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. ^ Kleck, Gary (2005). Point Blank : Guns and Violence in America. Somerset: Taylor and Francis. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-351-49936-1. OCLC 999642641. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  5. ^ "Married cops to head next-door agencies". NBC News. 25 January 2009. Archived from the original on 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  6. ^ "Florida Cops Get Missile Launcher in 'Kicks for Guns' Exchange". Fox News. August 17, 2007. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
  7. ^ "Amnesty: Rocket Launcher Swapped For Trainers". Sky News. Archived from the original on 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  8. ^ "Police get missile launcher during gun-shoe exchange". China Post. 2007-08-20. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  9. ^ "'Missile launcher' is weapon case". BBC. 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  10. ^ Stevens, Dennis J. (2018). An introduction to American policing (2 ed.). Burlington, MA. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-284-11011-1. OCLC 972308950. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-22.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ^ "Orlando's First Female Police Chief Val Demings, Retires". West Orlando News. 2011-05-03. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  12. ^ Billman, Jeffrey C. (July 10, 2008). "MIGHT MAKES RIGHT". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c Fitzpatrick, Jack (September 8, 2015). "Orlando Police Complaints in the Spotlight as African-American Ex-Chief Runs for Congress". The Atlantic. Boston, Massachusetts: Emerson Collective. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  14. ^ Dixon, Matt; King, Maya (2020-07-11). "When Val Demings Stood by Police Officers Accused of Excessive Force". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  15. ^ "Orlando police officer found liable in excessive force trial". Click Orlando. 2012-08-17. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  16. ^ Hernandez, Arelis (September 22, 2010). "Confrontation with Orlando cop leaves 84-year-old vet with broken neck, son says". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida: Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  17. ^ "Cop Who Broke Elderly Man's Neck Cleared". WFTV 9. October 15, 2010. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  18. ^ Palm, Anika Myers; Pacheco, Walter (October 15, 2010). "OPD Chief Val Demings: Takedown move that broke elderly man's neck 'within department guidelines'". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  19. ^ Ellis, AnneClaire; Stapleton, Ralph (2016-06-12). "Timeline of Orlando nightclub shooting". CNN. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  20. ^ McCann, Erin (2017-01-09). "Orlando Police Officer Shot and Killed; Manhunt Underway for Suspect". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  21. ^ Zaveri, Mihir (2020-02-27). "Body Camera Footage Shows Arrest by Orlando Police of 6-Year-Old at School". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  22. ^ "Orlando Police Department kicked out of program to help stop officer misconduct". WFTV. 2022-02-23. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  23. ^ "Orlando Police Department, FL". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  24. ^ Reaves, Brian A.; Smith, Pheny Z. (September 1995). "Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 1993: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 55. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2004.
  25. ^ Reaves, Brian A.; Goldberg, Andrew L. (April 1999). "Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 1997: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2004.
  26. ^ Reaves, Brian A.; Hickman, Matthew J. (March 2004). "Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 47. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2012.
  27. ^ ""Florida Officer Lead Deputy High Speed Chase Fled Traffic". NBC News.
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